Crying Cools Your Brain (Literally)

“Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive.”

-Charlotte Brontë

By: Heidi Grover

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The woman sitting on the couch is sad.

We’ve all been there: holding back tears in the car, finally letting it out in the shower, or breaking down unexpectedly during a therapy session. Crying is often treated like a sign of weakness or something to apologize for.

But here’s a fun (and fascinating) fact: Crying cools down your brain.

Science says that an ugly cry might be your body’s built-in air conditioner.

The Science Behind the Sob

Researchers have found that emotional tears—unlike the ones you get from cutting onions—contain stress hormones like cortisol and even natural painkillers called endorphins. That alone is impressive.

But here’s where it gets even cooler (literally): when you cry, the deep breathing and tear production help regulate your body temperature, including cooling down the brain. The act of crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your body responsible for rest.

In short, crying helps you release tension, lower your stress, and restore balance.

So when someone says, “You’ll feel better after a good cry,” they’re not just being comforting—they’re being neurologically accurate.

What Crying in Therapy Really Means

Many people worry they’ll cry in therapy. They’ll apologize. They’ll try to stop. But crying in therapy isn’t a breakdown—it’s a breakthrough.

It usually means:

• You’re finally feeling safe enough to let go.

• You’re tapping into something that matters.

• Your nervous system is shifting from "fight or flight" to "feel and heal."

Therapists aren’t scared of tears—they’re trained to honor them. Crying is never something to be embarrassed about in a therapy room. It’s a signal that your body is doing the work.

You're Not "Too Emotional," You're Human

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too sensitive” or to “pull yourself together,” it’s easy to internalize the idea that crying is bad. But the truth is: your tears are working for you, not against you.

They cool you down. They clear emotional congestion. They even trigger a connection, because humans are wired to respond with empathy when we see others cry.

So next time you feel the waterworks coming, let them. Your body is helping you regulate, heal, and reset.

And if it happens in therapy? That’s not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign you’re exactly where you need to be.